~/why/01_real-engineering.md
#Real engineering, not trivia
Three hours, your stack, a working pipeline. Build, ship, prove it runs - just like a Monday morning.
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Run by
ITAC 2026The Israeli Test Automation Cup.
A national contest for test automation engineers. Solo. Three hours. Two stages.
Time on the clock
3 hours
Entry
Free / Solo
Final @ BDO Academy
01.11.2026
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Why compete
The cup built for the way you actually ship.
Judged on engineering and test strategy.
~/why/02_learning-first.md
#A learning experience first
Curated submissions and a learnings digest are published after the Semi Final. The bar is what you take home, not just who wins.
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~/why/03_portfolio.md
#Portfolio-worthy
Every contestant ships a public repo, a clean run and a report. Interview-ready proof of skill - all yours.
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~/why/04_ai-policy.md
#AI - in the Final only
Copilot, Cursor, Claude and friends are blocked in the Semi Final and welcome in the Final. The Semi tests the human, the Final rewards self-healing AI workflows.
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~/why/05_two-stages.md
#Two stages, one journey
Semi Final online with open stack. Final onsite at BDO Academy with a fixed stack, announced months in advance.
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~/why/06_prizes.md
#Real prizes for the top three
Top-three prizes from ATID Automation and PRACTI AI: course access, club memberships and credit toward your next role.
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Two stages
One online, the other onsite.
ITAC runs in two stages. The Semi Final happens online with whichever stack you ship with. The Final happens onsite at BDO Academy on a fixed stack, announced months in advance.
Semi Final / OnlineOnline
Semi Final
- When
- First week of September 2026
- On the clock
- 3 hours
- Where
- Anywhere in the world
Open stack / Your choice
- JavaSelenium / TestNG
- PythonPytest / Selenium
- JavaScriptPlaywright / Cypress
- SeleniumAny language
- PlaywrightTS / JS / Python
- Your callBring what you ship with
Bring the stack you ship with. We score the engineering, not the brand. AI tools are blocked in the Semi Final.
Final / OnsiteOnsite
Final
- When
- 01.11.2026
- On the clock
- 3 hours
- Where
- BDO Academy, Tel Aviv
Locked stack / Mandatory
- TypeScript
- Playwright
- GitHub
- GitHub Actions
Finalists receive the stack details months in advance. AI tools are welcome in the Final - bonus points for self-healing tests.
The reality
Three hours. Real code that ships.
A taste of the work. Your stack, your design, your call.
Real Playwright specPass it or rewrite it
itac.spec.ts · itac-testlab
node v22
12345678
Result
Roadmap
Six checkpoints. One trophy.
Lock the dates that matter to you. Registration opens 10.05.2026, Semi Final in September, Final on 01.11.2026, ceremony on 08.11.2026.
- May 2026Public announcement
ITAC 2026 goes live to the community.
- 10.05.2026Registration opens
Sign-ups go live. Save your spot today and skip the queue.
- August 2026Judges-prep seminar
The panel calibrates on the rubric so your work gets a fair read.
- September 2026Semi Final / Online
Three hours, your stack, run from anywhere in the world.
- 01.11.2026Final / Onsite
Three hours at BDO Academy, Tel Aviv. Fixed stack, live judging, AI tools welcome.
- 08.11.2026Awards ceremony
Winners announced @ BDO Academy. Top three take home the prizes.
Partners
Run with ITCB and the partners that make this real.
ITCB owns the competition and underwrites the budget. BDO hosts the room. Our prize partners back the engineering credibility and the rewards on the table.
Headline partner
Israeli Testing Certification Board
Owns the competition, certifies the standards, underwrites the budget. ITAC runs under ITCB.
Visit site
FAQ
Quick answers to the questions you should be asking.
If something is missing, ping us and we will fold it in. We would rather over-answer than leave you guessing.
Get on the list for the inaugural cup.
Drop your details and we will keep you in the loop - kickoff dates, qualifier opens, finals brief. One useful email, no list, no spam.